Jobs will follow a recovery, not spark one

Waiting for an economic recovery to trigger new job creation is like showing up for brunch in New York City without reservations . . . be prepared to sit around for a while. According to a recent study by outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a copy of which DailyFinance has obtained, it may take months -- or possibly years -- before unemployment abates. Even so, a shift away from temporary layoffs to alternate forms of employment may mask a recovery, as incomes return ahead of traditional employment rates.

It seems fairly obvious that any meaningful job growth will only come after businesses are willing to loosen purse strings to expand their capabilities -- either through the introduction of new capacity for existing work or through the addition of new business units or products that require an increase in staff. New ventures would have to secure sufficient investment to get off the ground. And, for certain jobs, the use of freelance, outsourced or temporary labor would come before such roles are made permanent.